Boone man sentenced to 75 years in prison for drug charges

Saturday

Jan 13, 2018 at 11:08 AMJan 13, 2018 at 11:17 AM

After a year and a half of investigation and prosecution, on Jan. 8, 2018, a Boone County District Court Judge sentenced Dallas Edward Forkner, 34 years old of Boone to 75 years in prison with the Iowa Department of Corrections. The 75 year sentence carries a mandatory minimum that one-third of the sentence must be served, even with good time credits Forkner will not be eligible for parole until at least 12.5 years. The sentencing is a result of a guilty plea on Nov. 27, 2017 in two felony delivery of controlled substance cases. On that date Forkner pled guilty to possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, more than 5 grams, second or subsequent offense in his first case which carried a maximum possible sentence of 75 years in State Prison. In his second case he plead guilty to intent to deliver methamphetamine, less than 5 grams, second offense.

According to the complaint and affidavits filed in these cases the first case occurred on Sept. 29, 2016. On that date the Boone Police Department served a search warrant on a home shared by Forkner and Alicia Jo Fucaloro, 36. In searching Forkner the Boone Police Department found methamphetamine and a large sum of US Currency on his person. Inside the house the police found various items consistent with the distribution of illegal narcotics including scales, small clear zip lock baggies and small dishes with white residue used to cut larger amounts of narcotics down into smaller amounts for distribution. Throughout the residence law enforcement found over 100 grams of methamphetamine.

The defendant was released on a bond while the first case was pending despite efforts from the State to keep the defendant in jail. According to the complaint and affidavit filed on the second case officers served a search warrant on July 7, 2017. On that date officers with the Boone Police Department executed another search warrant on the residence of Forkner and Fucaloro. During the search officers located a large vacuum sealed bag containing 42.5 grams of marijuana. They also found items consistent with the distribution of narcotics including various forms of packaging, a scale, a ledger for tracking sales and small plastic bowls with a methamphetamine inside. They also located approximately 18 grams of methamphetamine and $45,900.

The Boone Police Department filed charges on both of these cases. On Nov. 27, 2017, Dallas Forkner pled guilty in both cases to distribution charges.

A sentencing hearing was set for the cases on Jan. 8, 2018. At the hearing the court heard arguments from both sides in what the sentencing of Forkner should be. The court sentenced Forkner to 75 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of 25 years with the Iowa Department of Corrections. On the second case the court sentenced Dallas Forkner to 35 years with this case to run concurrent to his 75 year case.

Fucaloro, a co-defendant on the earlier case, pled guilty case on Jan. 9, 2017 to conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, third offense, and tax stamp violation. She was initially sentenced to probation for those offenses on March 6, 2017 but violated her probation with her conviction of theft in the first-degree out of Polk County. She will have a probation revocation hearing in Feb. of 2018. If her probation is revoked she faces up to 20 years in prison with the Iowa Department of Corrections.

First Assistant Boone County Attorney, Matt Speers, prosecuted the cases on behalf of the State of Iowa for the prosecution. Forkner was defended by a local attorney. The Boone Police Department investigated the case.